PREVIEW: Bolton Wanderers

When Rovers make the trip over the Pennines this weekend they will be looking to avenge a defeat in the last game between the two sides. Some would say that Wanderers, who visited the Keepmoat in the FA Cup 3rd round in 2007, were worthy victors while some Rovers fans may rue the missed opportunity of what might have been.

Bolton took to the field with no less than eight internationals on the field, but it wasn’t to daunt Sean O Driscoll’s men who, after knocking out Premiership sides in the League Cup a season earlier, were looking for another big scalp.

The visitors started brightly and arguably Rovers just didn’t expect such a fast paced start as Bolton got the lead in the eighth minute through Kevin Davies after Stelios Giannakopoulos slid the ball into his path. The Greek international wanted a penalty two minutes later when he was brought down in the box but the referee, Dermot Gallagher, was having none of it.

Rovers saw their chance come in the 12th minute when Mark McCammon got his head to the ball and it appeared to be heading for the corner of the net but Ian Walker was to pull off a wonder save to deny the big striker. Adam Lockwood was to also go close as he glanced a header across the face of goal after a wonderful cross from the right, but it was to just elude the Rovers players in the box and narrowly squirmed wide of goal.

It was a case of what might have been within ten minutes as the Premier League club stamped their authority on the game before the break netting twice to go three nil up. Andranik Teimourian smashed in at the second attempt after Ben Smith had done so well to deny the Iranian and then Israeli international Idan Tal was to slot home.

This all but killed the game off, and to see the visitors score again wasn’t entirely a surprise. Teimourian getting his second of the game after neatly sidestepping James O Connor’s sliding challenge before despatching the ball home.

Late in the game Paul Heffernan had two wonderful chances to salvage some pride for Rovers but he inexplicably missed from close range. Wanderers went through to the next round but what if those two early chances had been put away by Rovers? It could have been such a different outcome.

Statistics v Bolton

The last time the two sides met in Lancashire was back in May 1987, with Rovers taking the spoils by the single goal.

Looking back at the last 4 results between the sides, the team who scores first maybe the one that tastes victory, as they have been unopposed on their way to three points. With both sides winning two games each of those last four.

There has only been one draw in the nine meetings between the teams, which was back at Belle Vue in August 1985.

Bolton lead the head to head victories by two games, by virtue of 5 wins to Rover’s three.

Sky Bet

The League Sponsors are offering odds of 9/2 for rovers to record a victory at the Reebok. Macheda is priced at 8/1 with Sky Bet to net the first goal.